Diamine Inkvent 2021 (via Writing at Large). December is upon us! Several bloggers and Instagrammers are offering the opportunity to follow along as they work their way through this year’s Diamine Inkvent Calendar. I’m not one of them, unfortunately, as I didn’t get my act together in time.
Ink Swatches and Diamine Inkvent Day 1 (via Pen Addict). Kimberly takes us through her process for swatching inks, as well as Day 1 of this year’s Inkvent Calendar.
Ways to Swatch with the Original Col-o-ring (via Well-Appointed Desk). While we’re on the subject of ink swatches, you can’t not mention the Col-o-ring notebook from our friends at the Well-Appointed Desk!
First Impressions: Santini Italia Giant (via UK Fountain Pens). Santini is an Italian brand whose high-end offerings have only recently been receiving a lot of attention, including this quite large fountain pen aptly dubbed “the Giant”. This one features attractive material (rosewood ebonite) and detailing.
Kaweco Student 20s Jazz (via Dapprman). If you had told me years ago that the Kaweco Student would end up being the focus of attention, much less a successful themed special edition campaign, I wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are, and Kaweco has done a surprisingly wonderful job making this pen relevant with their music-themed releases.
There Are Giants in the Sky (via Peaceable Writer). Another shout-out to Flexible Nib Factory, who not only makes nib units that allow you to swap nibs from different brands into JoWo housings, but who also manufactures ebonite feeds that can be used (with a special housing, mind you) to increase ink flow, which may help with drier-writing pens.
Ink Review #1699: Kobe 02 Hatoba Blue (via Mountain of Ink). The Sailor Kobe inks have been somewhat obscured in recent years by a flurry of new releases, but they remain great inks, especially the blues in this collection.
In Case You Missed It…
This week on the blog I wrote a piece about my fascination with yellow-green pens, and how this particular color has a hard time gaining traction, which is odd since it seems to be wildly in-demand as soon as the pens are discontinued or go out of stock. I also reviewed Private Reserve D.C. Supershow Blue, a classic ink that’s recently been reformulated in connection with Yafa’s acquisition of the brand.
Introducing CW+T Pen Type-C to the Curated Shop
The big news this week in the Curated Shop was the arrival of CW+T’s Pen Type-C, a machined titanium pocket/bookmark pen that uses the excellent Hi-Tec-C Coleto multi pen refill. Check out these and other fine pens and desk accessories in the shop, with some of my favorites highlighted in this week’s Deals & Drops post.
Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and First Dibs on Gently Used Stationery, Exclusive Products and More!
For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. Patreon supporters receive special pricing and early access to product releases and collaborations such as the T.G.S. x Sunderland pen, in addition to other benefits. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. The Patreon membership also has “first dibs” on my regular gently used stationery sales. Check out the current sale, as there is at least one custom fountain pen remaining!